The government has announced a review of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, which could lead to patients being prescribed drugs made from the plant in the UK.

Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, announced the decision in the House of Commons following a series of high profile cases in which children with severe epilepsy were denied access to medication which can control seizures.

In the United States, the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law for any purpose, by way of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Under the CSA, Schedule I drugs are those that have the following characteristic according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency:

On the 1st January 2018, California became the eighth US state to legalise the recreational use of Cannabis creating the world’s largest regulated commercial market, a move which is expected to generate up to $1bn (£740m) a year in tax revenue.
Dozens of newly licensed stores catering to adults who enjoy the drug for its psychoactive effects open for business up and down the state.